评论
打印
At this time， as it happened， the descendants mustered an immense crowd， and among them were poor and rich of various deGREes， or with likes and dislikes diametrically opposed. There were those， who， being in straitened circumstances at home， and easily contented， readily took up their quarters in the temple. And there were those with money and position， and with extravagant ideas， who maintained that the accommodation in the temple was not suitable， and， of course， went in search of additional quarters， either in country houses， or in convents， where they could have their meals and retire， after the ceremonies were over.
On the occasion of Mrs. Ch'in's funeral， all the members of the clan put up temporarily in the Iron Fence Temple； lady Feng alone looked down upon it as inconvenient， and consequently despatched a servant to go and tell Ch'ing Hsue， a nun in the Bread Convent， to empty two rooms for her to go and live in.
This Bread Convent had at one time been styled the Shui Yueh nunnery （water moon）； but as good bread was made in that temple， it gave rise to this nickname.
This convent was not very distant from the Temple of the Iron Fence， so that as soon as the bonzes brought their functions to a close， and the sacrifice of evening was offered， Chia Chen asked Chia Jung to request lady Feng to retire to rest； and as lady Feng perceived that there still remained several sisters-in-law to keep company to the female relatives， she readily， of her own accord， took leave of the whole party， and， along with Pao-yue and Ch'in Chung， came to the Water Moon Convent.
Ch'in Yeh， it must be noticed， was advanced in years and a victim to many ailments， so that he was unable to remain in the temple long， and he bade Ch'in Chung tarry until the coffin had been set in its resting place， with the result that Ch'in Chung came along， at the same time as lady Feng and Pao-yue， to the Water Moon Convent， where Ch'ing Hsue appeared， together with two neophytes， Chih Shan and Chih Neng， to receive them. After they had exchanged GREetings， lady Feng and the others entered the "chaste" apartments to change their clothes and wash their hands； and when they had done， as she perceived how much taller in stature Chih Neng had grown and how much handsomer were her features， she felt prompted to inquire， "How is it that your prioress and yourselves haven't been all these days as far as our place？"
"It's because during these days we haven't had any time which we could call our own，" explained Ch'ing Hsue. "Owing to the birth of a son in Mr. Hu's mansion， dame Hu sent over about ten taels and asked that we should invite several head-nuns to read during three days the service for the churching of women， with the result that we've been so very busy and had so little leisure， that we couldn't come over to pay our respects to your ladyship."
But leaving aside the old nun， who kept lady Feng company， we will now return to the two lads Pao-yue and Ch'in Chung. They were up to their pranks in the main building of the convent， when seeing Chih Neng come over： "Here's Neng Erh，" Pao-yue exclaimed with a smile.
"Why notice a creature like her？" remarked Ch'in Chung； to which Pao-yue rejoined laughingly： "Don't be sly！ why then did you the other day， when you were in the old lady's rooms， and there was not a soul present， hold her in your arms？ and do you want to fool me now ？"
"there was nothing of the kind，" observed Ch'in Chung smiling.
"Whether there was or not，" replied Pao-yue， "doesn't concern me； but if you will stop her and tell her to pour a cup of tea and bring it to me to drink， I'll then keep hands off."
"This is indeed very strange！" Ch'in Chung answered laughing； "do you fear that if you told her to pour you one， that she wouldn't； and what need is there that I should tell her？"
"If I ask her，" Pao-yue observed， "to pour it， she wouldn't be as ready as she would were you to tell her about it."
Ch'in Chung had no help but to speak. "Neng Erh！" he said， "bring a cup of tea."
This Neng Erh had， since her youth， been in and out of the Jung mansion， so that there was no one that she did not know； and she had also， time after time， romped and laughed with Pao-yue and Ch'in Chung. Being now grown up she gradually came to know the import of love， and she readily took a fancy to Ch'in Chung， who was an amorous being. Ch'in Chung too returned her affection， on account of her good looks； and， although he and she had not had any very affectionate tete-a-tetes， they had， however， long ago come to understand each other's feelings and wishes.
Chih Neng walked away and returned after having poured the tea.
